Manchester Bridge
$17.99 - On Sale
I'm From The Burgh - Manchester Bridge
The Manchester Bridge: 1911 - 1970.
The Manchester Bridge replaced the old wooden Union Bridge, the first bridge erected at the Point and demolished in 1907. Both bridges spanned the Allegheny, connecting the Point of Pittsburgh to its North Side. The super-structure consisted of two Pennsylvania through-truss spans, each 531 feet long, with a clearance of 70 feet above harbor pool level. The designs of the bridge and the finely crafted, ornamental ironwork of the portals were executed under the direction of the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works.
The northern pier was left in place after the demolition of the bridge in 1970. It was intended to serve as an observation deck in the riverside park along the Allegheny River. The park, later named Roberto Clemente Park, was built as part of the construction of Three Rivers Stadium.
The Manchester bridge portal sculptures by Charles Keck were to be mounted on the old stone-faced pier, but the project was never completed. The sculptures have been stored at the Children's Museum on the North Side since.
